7 awesome Bay Area things to do indoors on this smoky weekend, Aug. 21-23

It may be too smoky to play outside this weekend, but we have seven suggestions for awesome things to do indoors, from otter cams to hot jazz, virtual museums and tasty indoor picnic fare (Green. Goddess. Chicken. OMG)

If you’re starting to think your life is following some apocalyptic screenplay, you’re not alone. It may be too smoky (and too pandemicky) to play outdoors this weekend, but we have seven suggestions for awesome things to do indoors, from a Disney flick about an adorable gorilla to otter cams, hot jazz, virtual museums and some very tasty fare (Green. Goddess. Chicken. OMG)

(And if you want to get the Weekender newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday morning, just sign up here.)

1 WATCH: A Classic family movie

Disney’s history of fun and enriching family-friendly movies is rich and deep. This week, the studio serves up another. An adaptation of Katherine Applegate’s award-winning book “The One and Only Ivan,” about a heart-stealing gorilla tops our list of cool new streaming movies.

2 SIP: Frozen sips, bubbly seltzers

Slushy gin and tonics are officially a thing this summer — at least, they are at our house. Here’s how to make one in a matter of minutes. And if that sounds like too much effort, may we suggest checking out the fizzy trend of the summer with a peek at the 12 best hard seltzers around?

3 SEE: Classic photos from a legendary artist

The Oakland Museum of California is hosting one of the world’s most important collections of works from iconic photographer Dorothea Lange, whose images of 20th-century Americans in times of struggle and change are iconic. Now the museum is sharing scores of those photos in a fabulous online presentation. Meanwhile, here’s some of the cool online stuff other Bay Area museums are serving up.

4 EAT: Our Green Goddess Chicken obsession

OK, wildfire smoke and picnic season are not a great combination. But the contents of that basket can be enjoyed indoors, too — especially if we’re talking America’s Test Kitchen’s Green Goddess Chicken. It was one of several recipes featured in a recent story about yummy picnic fare. But OMG. We’ve made that chicken four times in two weeks. And this week isn’t over yet.

5 SEE: The Monterey otter cam

Watching adorable otters frolicking on camera may be the most de-stressing thing one can do right now. Take a virtual peek at the Monterey Aquarium’s cutest aquatic residents via the otter cam. Then explore the rest of Monterey virtually, too. Here’s how.

6 WATCH: Jazz Masters get their due

It was a real coup for SFJazz when it was selected as the host for the NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert in the spring. Then the coronavirus pandemic came along and, well, so much for that. But wait! The prestigious annual awards ceremony has been re-invented as a live-streamed production.

7 LAUGH: Improv comedy at home

Theaters may be closed, but San Jose’s 3 Below Theaters and Lounge sends its family-friendly ComedySportz improv show directly to fans’ laptops this Saturday via Zoom. And yes, it’s interactive! Just hit the chat button and contribute your crazy suggestions to the improv lineup. Ticket deets are here.